What is history? If it contains different versions of truth according to who wrote it and for what purpose, is there any way to read it so as to enhance our understanding of the past, and perhaps the present, too?
According to Thongchai Winichakul, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin and author of the well-received Siam Mapped, the context in which a particular history was written must be taken into consideration in order to understand _ or unravel _ a country's past.
Speaking at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the August 8, 1988 massacre of pro-democracy activists by the Burmese military, held at the Central Office of Christian Students last week, Thongchai cited as an example Thai Rob Phama (Thais Fought Burma), an influential history penned by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab in 1917, as an account that served a particular purpose.
Thongchai said that this oft-quoted chronicle _ which he regards as partly responsible for Thais having a "packaged mentality" of "hating and fearing" Burma _ was written at a time when Siam badly needed a new account that depicted the glories of its past in order to assuage the agony felt by members of the ruling elite at the loss of Siamese territory in Laos to France in 1903.
Burma was selected to be our "enemy of the day" and we were portrayed as peace-loving people who were usually the victim of attacks and invasions by our "imperialist" neighbour to the west, Thongchai said.
"The Burma that we fought in the past is just an allegory for the modern-day Western imperialists whom the Thai elite hated and feared," he added.
Ironically, in Burmese historiography, especially that undertaken in modern times, Thailand is not portrayed as the arch-enemy. Instead, Burmese chroniclers considered Western countries, particularly Great Britain, as their primary foes, Thongchai said, adding that perhaps the time has come for Thais to adopt a "Thai rak Phama [Thais love Burmese] and other nations" attitude in place of mainstream patriotism.
At a seminar to launch translations of two Burmese history books, also held last week, Sunait Chutintaranond, director of Chulalongkorn University's Southeast Asian Studies Centre, noted that Burma, too, has a historiography of its own that served particular needs in the pre- and post-colonial eras.
Manifestation of the King of Kings, an important Burmese chronicle dating from the late 17th century, praises King Podaw Paya as having greater clout and more grace than any other king (including Ayutthaya's) in the region, Sunait pointed out.
During the British colonial period, several scholars in Burma _ U Thein Maung in particular _ began portraying the heretofore-aloof kings of Burma as great national heroes, and that around this time popular history also started to gain a foothold side by side with the traditional dynastic accounts, Sunait said.
After independence, though, Burmese historical literature in the mid-20th century shifted its focus to national unity, a move made, in Sunait's opinion, to answer an immediate concern of the new country: How to bring together a dozen or more ethnic groups in the interest of building a unified nation.
These new books included works by former UN secretary-general U Thant, who was a teacher before taking the top job in New York, and Maung Htin Aung, a young scholar from Cambridge and Oxford who challenged the domination British academics had enjoyed up to then over the writing of his country's history.
Sunait noted that U Thant's history highlighted the roles played by heroic leaders of the past including Pagan's Anawratha, Toungoo's Bayinnaung, and Khaung Baung's Alaungphaya _ three kings responsible for uniting several small states under their rule.
"Modern Thai history always emphasises the role of princes and kings who liberated our ancient kingdom [from invaders] while Burmese history highlights the glory of having a united land."
But in recent years, the military regime has, in Sunait's opinion, exploited Burma's history by building huge stone statues of King Bayinnaung in three key ports of entry: Thachilek, opposite Chiang Rai province; Kawthaung, opposite Ranong; and Rangoon. Script on the Thachilek statue mentions the (first) Burmese victory over Ayutthaya in 1569.
"The point is how we look at ourselves," the lecturer said. "We need a new, soul-searching approach before we are in a position to take a clear look at our neighbour's history. In this era of regional cooperation, we need to minimise the animosity between us."